These may be made using the Runecrafting skill at level 5 Runecrafting, granting 6 experience per essence, using the water altar south-east of Draynor Village in the Lumbridge Swamp. They can also be found at various spawns around the game, such as the spawn in the scorpion pit north of Al Kharid. Water runes can also be dropped by monsters. They can sometimes be found inside barrels. After the questDealing with Scabaras, water runes may be used on a water tiara, requiring both 50 Magic and Runecrafting, to make an enchanted water tiara. This item replaces waterskins in the desert heat, with three water runes accounting for one dose of water. The amount of charges that the tiara can store is unlimited. Similarly to infusing a druid pouch, the user must use at least 3 water runes on the tiara.

Trivia

The most water runes required for a spell is 30, for the Charge Water Orb spell.

Water runes used to have a price ceiling of 16 coins each, and were extremely hard to buy on the Grand Exchange. On 9 September2009, the price cap was removed (and shortly before, the infinite stock of water runes in shops had been removed), and water runes increased in price to over 40 coins each. Due to this it was very smart to buy water runes from rune shops at 17 coins and sell on the Grand Exchange. However, this is not applicable anymore as the Grand Exchange price is now cheaper (24).

The value of 1 water rune in Investment Credits in Mobilising Armies is 6 Investment Credits.